Just Around the Corner
by alilrandom
Summary: Kristin's a hunter, a scavenger and a thief, willing to do everything and anything to survive. But when her brother dies on a hunt, she wants to make a deal in order to bring him back to life. She attempts to track down the Winchesters to help find her brother, resurrecting the ghosts of her past in the process.
1. Chapter 1

Just Around the Corner

Synopsis:

A long time ago, Kristin and Dean had a one night stand. The next morning, Dean woke up to find himself tied to the bed and Kristin leaving with his wallet. Kristin's a hunter, a scavenger and a thief, willing to do everything and anything to survive.

But when she meets up with the Winchesters again, it's seemingly by accident. She and Dean are immediately at each other's throats - with Sam quietly commenting that there may still be sparks between them. Dean insists that it was a mistake brought upon by a night of drunken debauchery.

Dean finally finds out why Kristin's really back in town - Kristin's younger brother, Joey, died on a hunt and she wants to make a deal to bring him back. She heard the Winchesters have made deals before and she wants to know if it's the real thing. Will she be able to save her brother's life?

But will the Winchesters let her put her soul on the line in order to save her brother?

Part 1: Waiting For You

_Over one year ago_

The door of the motel room opened and Dean staggered inside, a blonde girl's legs wrapped tightly around his waist, her hands running through his hair. He shut the door with his foot, staggered a few steps backward and then fell backwards onto the bed.

_ With a sharp giggle, the girl rolled off of him, but Dean was on top of her in an instant, trapping her facedown on the white flannel bedspread. He brushed the hair away from her neck and started to bite and suck at the tender flesh while his hands reached under her shirt. _

_ Suddenly his right fingertips graced a piece of gauze about an inch or two above her bellybutton, and he stopped, his lips resting on the warm flesh. "What happened here?"_

_ "Shot," she answered simply, her eyes widening a little bit. _

_ "Shot?" Dean's body rose an inch, allowing her to turn over to face him. "You a cop?"_

_ "Baby, I'm anything you want me to be," she said with a mischievous grin, and that was enough for Dean Winchester. _

I rolled over next to Dean that morning, rolling out of his grasp. He had held me close to him all night, his hot breath warming the back of my neck. One hand had rested on the sore spot of flesh that revealed a wound after Dean had taken the liberty of ripping the gauze clean off my fragile skin. The other hand, of course, ran up and down my bare thigh.

I slipped out of bed, letting the silky sheets fall to the floor, as I gathered up my clothes and slipped them on. They smelled like sweat, sex, and alcohol, but I didn't care.

Once I was fully dressed, I ran my fingers through my hair in an attempt to repair my bed-head, and then went to work. I slipped outside and went into the car, pulling my backpack onto my back. I shut the door as quietly as I could, not wanting to wake Dean up, and then headed back into the motel room.

Dean was still fast asleep, flat on his back, and I could not ask for a better position. I quietly unzipped by backpack and pulled out a long length of rope- this was going to be good.

After I had tied Dean's arms and legs to the four corners of the bed, I set about finding his jeans, which was a harder task than tying him up. I finally found them thrown into the far corner of the room, but I couldn't imagine how they got thrown all the way over there from the bed.

I quickly fished out his wallet, pulling out the black leather article. Inside was a card that identified him as 'Dean Winchester' but a quick look revealed that there was another behind it- 'John Bonham', and behind that revealed a 'James Hetfield'. Well, Dean Winchester, if that was even his real name, may not have been the guy he claimed to have been, but at least he had good taste in music.

I checked the other side and found a strong hold of credit cards, and then- only sixty bucks in cash. "Hey-" I quickly turned around, hiding the wallet behind me, as Dean woke up. "What the hell?"

"Just relax," I smiled, taking a few steps towards him. "I wanted to give you a little treat to show you how much I loved last night."

"Then why are you dressed?" he eyed me suspiciously and I sighed, walking over to my backpack. I quickly threw in the wallet then zipped it up, mounting it on my back. "Well, it's been real, Dean."

"What did you just throw in there?" Dean asked suspiciously, his eyes wide. I walked back over to the bed and bent down, my lips moving over his. He kissed me back for a moment, before pulling away. "Okay, this is all very funny- now untie me."

"Sure thing, Dean," I quickly put down my backpack and pulled out a rag, taking care to stuff it in his mouth so that he couldn't speak. My next move was pure genius; Dean had slept next to me, stark naked, and so I simply took the sheets and the blankets and threw them in a corner of the room.

"Okay, really funny-" Dean started nervously after he had spit the rag out of his mouth. "Now let me go- do you have any idea who I am? Just, let me go-"

I walked over to the window and opened it wide, allowing a cold breath of air to flood the room. "Damn, it's cold out there."

"Bitch-" Dean was beside himself with rage as he tried to break the ropes that tied him. I stared at him for a moment, watching him squirm.

"Okay," I said at length. "Now it's cold in here."

"You-" Dean's face was red, either from the anger or from blushing. "I swear, if you don't let me go by the time I count to three-"

"Bye Dean," I gave him a flirtatious wave as I walked towards the door, but as I rested my hand on the cold brass doorknob, I stopped and turned around. "The sex was pretty good, by the way." With that, I turned around and headed out the door.

* * *

"Can I buy you a drink?"

"How about no?" I turned around to see a tall, dark-haired man standing next to me. I raised my eyebrow a little as I saw his muscles, then turned straight ahead.

"How-"

"I'm waiting for someone," I answered.

"Oh yeah?" the guy asked. "Where is he?"

"Coming," I answered simply.

"You sure about that?" he rested his elbow on the bar as he played with the hair around my face, and I quickly looked away.

"Excuse me, but I believe that's my seat." I didn't turn around as the guy backed off, and another guy took his place. "Guys who try to hard are the worst, huh?"

"Yeah," I took a sideways glance at him, and my heart plummeted in my chest when I realized who it was- Dean Winchester. I quickly turned my head to the side, realizing that he obviously hadn't recognized me as the one who tied him, naked, to a bed- and left the window open. That must have been quite a sight for the manager to see why the room wasn't vacated yet, huh?

"Excuse me-" I quickly hopped off the stool and walked towards the door without turning around to face him. Instead of going straight to my car, I snuck around the back of the building, figuring it would be better for me to wait it out in case he suddenly remembered who I was.

I stuck my head back around to the side of the building, but there was no sign of anyone. I was just about to go to my car, when suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder and I jumped, spinning around.

In an instant, a hand was pressed over my mouth to suppress my scream, and I was pushed up against the wall. "Let me go-"

"Well, look who it is." There was Dean, holding me back against the wall, while another guy stood behind him. The second guy was much taller then Dean, and they looked almost nothing alike.

"Back off, Dean," I growled. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I want what's mine back," Dean growled in response. "Give it to me."

"You think I still have that?" I asked quickly. "How long has it been, Dean?"

"Too long," Dean answered. "You're a hard one to catch, but you finally slipped up."

"I didn't slip anything up since I didn't care if I was found," I smiled confidently. "I mean, come on Dean. Think about it. If a hunter really finds me he'll have a pretty hard time tracking me down, but my trail to an everyday cop is virtually untraceable."

"Who are you?" the man behind Dean asked quickly.

"Sam-" Dean started. "Just stay behind me, would you?"

"Sam and Dean Winchester," I shook my head. "Sam, I've never had the pleasure."

"Who is she, Dean?" Sam asked quietly, almost out of earshot.

"Well, I'll tell you," I smiled from ear to ear, and cheerily told him how I had conned Dean out of his wallet, then tied him naked to a bed, leaving the room with an icy draft.

"How did that happen?" Sam asked, turning to Dean.

"He let his guard down," I answered simply. "Okay, it's all just fun and games until someone gets a bullet through their head- now seriously, Dean, let me go."

"Not until I get my money back," Dean growled.

"Well I can't reach my wallet like this, can I?" I asked quickly, and Dean sighed as he let me go. I started to reach into my back pocket and then yelled- "Dean, watch your back!" They immediately spun around, and I ran out of the alley.

"Hey-" Dean called after me, and I quickly ducked under the nearest car and rolled- my shoulder dipping into a puddle of mud, since it had rained the day previous. I made my way, on hands and knees, around the front of the cars, keeping as low to the ground as I could, knowing Sam and Dean would probably not be able to see me too well in the darkness.

When I finally reached my car, I stood up and saw that there were no Winchesters in sight. I quickly got in the car, not knowing where they were. I quickly put the key in the ignition and pulled out onto the open street. No cars followed, for no one saw.

But seeing Dean gave me the opportunity I needed. I was only going to get one chance at this, so I might as well take it.

* * *

I stood outside motel room 12 with a heavy backpack pulling on my shoulders. I wasn't sure how or why I had come to this conclusion, but I had, and now it was time to act on it. I quickly picked up the cold brass knocker and knocked twice, and immediately heard rummaging from inside. There was a brief pause before the door opened, and Dean stood there, looking almost shocked. "You?"

"Me," I admitted with a cheery smile. May I come in?"

"If you promise to give me back my money," Dean started, but I had already pushed my way past him into the motel room. "Hey Sammy- what's going on?"

"Nothing," Sam said quietly, looking me up and down. "You going somewhere?"

"Yeah," I admitted. "How about this? I have a proposal-"

"No," Dean said immediately, shutting the door and turning around to face me.

"Dean, I will give you back your wallet if you let me come with," I said quickly.

"No deal," Dean said at once.

"Please?" I asked quickly. "Come on- you can always use an extra set of hands, right?"

"Sorry," Dean said, walking around to stand next to Sam. "But I work alone."

"You're with Twiddle-Dee," I snapped. "Now come on, Dean- please?"

"No," Dean shouted. "How many times-?"

"Okay," Sam said quietly.

"What?" Dean spun around to face him incredulously. "Sam-"

"Can I talk to you outside?" Sam asked quickly, and Dean studied me for a moment before nodding, and together they headed towards the door.

"Don't touch anything," Dean yelled out before the door slammed behind me.

A few minutes later, the door opened up again and Sam and Dean walked back in. "All right," Dean said grudgingly. "You can come with- now give me back my wallet."

"All things in good time, Dean," I smiled as I crossed my arms over my chest. "All things in good time."


	2. Chapter 2

Part 2: Sparks

_Dean's POV:_

I had sent Kristin out to get us lunch, and she gleefully complied. She was definitely happy about something, and I knew it was only a matter of time before something valuable went missing. I had seen Sam reach into his pocket to pull out his wallet, but I quickly gestured for him to chill. She had taken my wallet and still hadn't given it back yet- she could pay.

We had waited patiently for the door to shut behind her before Sam turned to me. "So?"

"So what?" I snapped, turning to him. "I still don't like her around."

"What's with you two anyway?" Sam asked quietly.

"What?" I asked quickly.

"Well, she glances at you, you glance at her-" Sam started.

"She's wondering when I'm going to kill her," I snapped, walking over to the bed and sitting down.

"No, no- this is different," Sam said quietly, and I rolled my eyes.

"What? You think I like her?" I demanded, and a smirk spread across my face as I looked at the serious expression of Sam's countenance. "Sam, come on-"

"I've talked to her," Sam said matter-of-factly.

"What'd she say?" I asked automatically, my face set.

"What do you think she said?" Sam asked quickly, and I raised my eyebrows.

"She wants me dead," I guessed, spreading my arms. "I don't know, Sammy- what's with the 20Q?"

"Just- wondering," Sam said with a small shrug as he laid down on the bed. I watched him grab the other pillow lying beside him as he put it over his face. "Wake me up when the food gets here."

"Sure thing," I said quietly, staring at him. I don't know what suddenly invoked his strange behavior, but something was definitely up.

* * *

_Kristin's POV:_

"Pizza's here," I called brightly as I entered the room with pizza and a six-pack.

"Thanks," Dean answered quickly, more out of programming than anything else.

"Welcome," I answered simply. "Here's your wallet back, Sam." I quickly pulled a large black wallet out of my back pocket and tossed it to him. He caught it in both hands, and then looked up at Dean, shocked.

"Then who's-?" Sam reached into his own back pocket, and to his great surprise, pulled out Dean's wallet.

"You bitch-" Dean hissed, taking a few steps towards me. I stood my ground, staring into his face, completely under control.

"Relax, Dean," I said quietly, my voice flat and monotone. "I didn't take your wallet, did I?"

Dean hesitated as he backed off, and then quickly walked over to Sam and snatched up his own wallet. Both Winchesters were glaring at me now, and you could cut the tension with a knife.

"Pizza's here," I repeated tiredly, running my hands through my hair. I walked past them and into the bathroom, shutting the door behind me with a soft snap.

* * *

_Dean's POV:_

"I swear to God-" I made sure my wallet was safely in my back pocket before I made my way over to the box of pizza. "Watch- it's probably empty."

"If it is, what are you going to do?" Sam asked, sounding half-scared.

"Kill her," I repeated bitterly.

"Yeah, you keep saying that," Sam mused.

"What?" I demanded, spinning around. "Sam, do you know something?"

"No," Sam repeated blankly, and I stared at him, raising an eyebrow.

"Dude-" I started, spreading my arms wide. "You can't lie to me."

"Nothing happened," Sam's tone turned awkward, and I crossed my arms across my chest and waited.

"Sam-" I started, my tone lightly scolding.

"You don't remember last night, do you?" Sam asked quickly, and I raised an eyebrow, thinking.

"No-" I started slowly.

"You were making some seriously happy noises last night," Sam said lightly. "And you were calling out her name."

"Whose name?"

"Kristin."

"I was calling out her name?" I asked quietly, and Sam nodded. "Does she-?" Sam nodded, and I ran my hand through my hair. When I looked up next, I was smiling. "So what?" I asked with a small shrug. "It's just a dream."

"You sure?" Sam asked quietly, and I spun around to look at him.

"Yes," I said loudly, just in case Kristin was listening. I highly doubted she was, as we waiting for the shower water to start before we had this conversation, but you never knew. She was a crafty one, she was.

"Dean?" Sam asked quietly after a moment.

"Yeah?" I said quickly, spinning around to look at him.

"I'm hungry," Sam said quietly, and I nodded as I walked over to the box of pizza.

"It better not be empty," I said quickly as I opened up the box. Inside was the full pizza, half of it topped with onions.

"How does she know you like onions?" Sam asked quietly, turning to me.

"No idea," I said quickly, turning to Sam. "But does that really matter now?"

* * *

_Kristin's POV:_

I stayed in the shower for three hours. Yes, it seemed excessive, but I didn't want to go outside and face Dean. Not yet. I had seen a receipt in his wallet for a large pizza with extra onions, and so, I just-

But why was I doing that? I didn't owe him anything. Well, I owed him his wallet, but that was about it. I still couldn't even figure out the real reason why I had told them to come along. Well, I knew, of course. I had to ask Dean a question. So, the logical voice in the back of my head told me, ask him and split. Why was I hanging around?

As I emerged from the shower, I glanced down at my watch. 11:00. I had no idea why I had stayed in the shower for this long, but I just couldn't face them. Dean had come banging on the door several times, and I had only shouted back an answer. I was in no mood to talk to anyone. All I could think of was Joey and how it was all completely and totally my fault.

But as I emerged from the shower, I quickly got into my pajamas, which consisted of black boxer shorts and a gray T-shirt. I rubbed my temple as I came out of the bathroom, feeling slightly light-headed from the lack of fresh air. "Hey there," I noticed Dean sitting behind the table while Sam was asleep on his bed. "Sorry, we didn't leave you any pizza, but-"

"It's fine," I said quickly as I fell down onto the bed, slowly pulling the top cover around me.

"Are you okay?" Dean asked after a moment.

"Dean, that sounded like genuine concern in your voice," I said mockingly. "I'm touched."

I heard the sound of a chair scraping back, and I paused, as I knew Dean was making his way over to the bed. "You're supposed to sleep on the floor, remember?"

"Sure, sorry," I said quietly as I pulled off the top blanket and stretched it out on the ground beside the bed. I grabbed both pillows and pulled them down next to me, just to be bitchy.

"Are you okay?" Dean asked again.

"Fine," I answered quietly with a small moan. "Just tired, okay? Is that a crime?"

"I- um- I did save you some pizza," Dean said quietly after a moment, then quickly corrected himself. "Well, I didn't. Sam did."

He put it on the ground beside me, as one places a dish of food outside a dog's basket, and I quickly rolled over and sat up, resting the plate on my lap. I had no idea how hungry I was until the stabs of hunger in my stomach began to poke at the cold pizza that had now taken up residence in my stomach.

"Why did you come back?" Dean asked quietly as I finished eating.

I licked the tomato sauce off my fingers, the food giving me renewed strength. "You really want to know why?" Dean had sat down on the edge of the bed to watch him eat, and I quickly pushed the plate aside as I sat up, making my way over to him.

Dean did not move as I straddled him, intentionally pushing my body closer to his as I ran my hands through his hair. I positioned myself so that my lips were just barely touching his when I whispered, "I came back for you."

As I looked up into his face, Dean's eyes were closed, and one hand was planted firmly at the base of my neck, as if to pull me closer to him. "You really expect me to believe that?" he asked quietly. His lips brushed against my own, sending shivers down my spine.

"Baby, I don't care what you believe," I started to pull away, when I caught a whine of protest in Dean's throat. I raised an eyebrow as I looked at him, and Dean quickly pretended that it was a cough. "If you want me to stay-" I ran a finger down his chest and met his eyes with a seductive smirk.

"No," Dean said quickly, but I only stared into his eyes and didn't move. Dean hesitated for a moment, and then suddenly I reached forward and kissed him as I wrapped my arms around his neck. Deans' hands were already working my shirt off, pulling my hair out of my face.

Honestly? I had come to the Winchesters- no; I had come to Dean for only two reasons. And this was one of them.


	3. Chapter 3

Part 3: More Than Just Friends

I heard the sound of someone laughing in my right ear, and I quickly cuddled further into the warm pillow beneath me. Suddenly the pillow beneath me squirmed and my muscles tensed as my eyes shot open in quick alarm. Dean let out a small groan as he propped himself up on one elbow; his other arm wrapped tightly around my waist.

I rubbed my eyes quickly and smoothed down my hair to look at Sam, where he was laughing quietly from his bed. "What's so funny?" Dean demanded. He looked as though he wanted to pull his arm away from me because Sam was watching, but also still wanted to hold me for just a little longer.

"What did you say?" Sam asked, turning to me, and I was silent as I rubbed my temple.

"Say-?"

"Yesterday," Sam reminded me with a cocky smirk.

"I don't know, Sam," I sighed, looking up at him wearily. "What did I say?"

"That you wouldn't lower your standards for Dean?" Sam asked. "That you would never sleep with him again?"

"You said that?" Dean demanded, and I blushed, looking away from him. Dean held me still, rubbing his thumb against my bare flesh.

"And what about you?" Sam demanded. "You said you were going to kill her-"

"I still might," Dean growled, but it was an empty threat.

"She still didn't give you back your wallet," Sam pointed out.

"I-" Dean glowered at him, speechless.

"Just go away, Sammy," I pulled the blankets tighter around me as I laid back down next to Dean. Dean moved his hand away from me as he gently touched my forehead, and I smiled a little. Dean forced a smile in my direction before turning back to Sam.

"I'm- going to get some breakfast," Sam said after a moment. The atmosphere changed subtly, and he could sense that his presence was now no longer welcome.

I shut my eyes and started to fall back asleep, but I suddenly felt Dean's lips against my neck, and I smiled as I ran my hands through his hair. "Dean-"

"Shhh," he placed his finger on my lips, and my body shuddered next to his. He ran his hands through my hair, brushing it away from my face, and his fingertips danced across my shoulders and down my back.

He stopped for a moment, his body pressing against mine, and I opened my eyes to see his bright green eyes staring into my bright blue ones. "Dean-" He reached over and stroked my cheek, and I noticed that his countenance was sad.

"Please, Dean-" I reached over and kissed his lips beseechingly. "I-" My lips quivered for a moment, and a single tear ran down my cheek. I had no idea why I was suddenly getting so emotional, but maybe it was because I wasn't thinking about Dean.

"Why did you come back?" he asked quietly. "You didn't come back for me-"

"I wanted to give you something," I said quietly. I stood up, covered in Dean's T-shirt and his boxers, and made my way towards my backpack. Dean propped himself up on his elbow as I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and pulled his wallet out of the front pouch of my backpack.

"Is that-?"

"Yes," I quickly crawled back into bed beside him and held the wallet out in both hands, waiting for Dean to take it. Dean's mouth opened, and then shut, as he looked up at me.

"Why?"

"It's yours," I said quietly. Dean took the wallet and thumbed through it.

"It's-"

"Completely intact."

"But why?"

"I don't know," I said quietly. "There was just- I don't know. I felt guilty about taking it, that's all." I didn't meet his eyes. "I just- was always secretly hoping I'd see you again so I could give that back to you."

Dean's mouth opened up, and then he closed it again, his eyes burning into mine. "The sex was that good, huh?" He laughed and I smiled. "Why didn't you just call me or something? I'm sure you'd have no problem getting my number."

"I-" I shifted uncomfortably. "I figured you were mad at me." I paused and looked up at him. "You were mad, weren't you?"

"Yeah," Dean said quietly, running his hand through my hair. "But I'm over it now."

I cracked a smile. "The sex was that good, huh?" Still, the tears started to drip down my cheeks in small rivulets, and Dean held me close to him.

"What's wrong?" he asked gently as I lay my head on his shoulder.

"Dean, there's another reason I came back-" I said quietly.

"Oh God," Dean said quickly. "Should I get tested-?"

"Dean-" I smacked his arm lightly. "Relax. It's- um-" I ran my hands through my hair and forced my eyes to meet his. "Did you make a crossroads deal?"

Dean's mouth opened and closed as his eyes widened. "What?"

"The crossroads deal," I said again. "Is it bona fide? Is it legit? Does it work?"

Dean didn't lower his eyes. He just stared at me and his head dipped forward in a small nod.

"How long did you get?" I asked quietly.

Dean broke the gaze as he looked away, scratching the hair behind his right ear. He licked his lips and pretended that something across the room caught his attention.

"How long?"

"A year," his voice cracked and there was a steady beat of silence.

"So the crossroads deal is- bona fide?" I asked quickly.

"Yeah," Dean said quietly. "I-"

He reached over to hold me, but I quickly moved out of the circle of his arm. "Thanks. That's all I needed to know."

"What?" Dean asked quickly, his eyes hardening. "What do you mean 'That's all I needed to know'?"

"I just wanted to see if the crossroads deals are real, that's all," I answered simply. "So thanks."

"So, that's it?" Dean asked as I started to get dressed. "You walk back into my life acting like-"

"Acting like-?" I looked up at him and Dean stared at me.

"Like you-?" Dean's voice caught in his throat. I knew where he was going with this.

"I-" I closed my eyes and then opened them again. "I wouldn't push it that far."

"But you do-" Dean hesitated, then slumped back against the bed, shaking his head. "Forget it."

"Have feelings for you?" I asked quickly, and Dean looked up quickly, the expression on his face a look of reckless hope. "I don't know, Dean-"

Dean got out of bed, making his way over to me. I stood my ground, but bit my lip nervously as Dean approached me. He pressed his body into mine and I breathed as he put his hands on my shoulders, slowly forcing me to fall limp in his arms.

"So I'm a bitch to you and that only turns you on?" I asked quietly and Dean laughed. "Honestly, Dean-"

"Where are you going?" Dean asked quietly. "You're not leaving-?"

I smiled gently at him as I looked back up into his face. "Actually, Dean, I am."

"What?" he asked, his eyes full of alarm. "But- why-?"

"Because," I sighed, then stopped. "You wouldn't understand-"

"Try me," Dean said slowly, and I snapped under the challenge of a dare as I looked into his face.

"My younger brother Joey was a hunter," I said quickly. "He died on a hunt and I'm going to make a crossroads deal to bring him back."

"No-" Dean made a move to grab my wrist, but I moved away. "Kristin, no. Don't do that-"

"Why not?" I asked simply, my voice full of reckless confidence. "You did."

"But-" Dean's lip trembled. "Kristin, you can't. I won't let you."

"I'd like to see you try to stop me," I answered simply. "Now, look, Dean. I'll ask the crossroads demon to give me as much time as you have left, and then we can both spend as much time as we want together before we enter the pit- together."

"No," Dean answered with new hate. "No, if you walk out of here right now, then don't come back. Ever."

"I can leave in a few minutes-" I said quietly, and Dean glared at me. "Okay, then, Dean. Have a nice life. Or whatever's left of it anyway."

"Same," Dean said, and I felt a pang of regret in my chest as I lifted my backpack onto my back.

I closed my eyes and turned my back on Dean. I heard him take a step towards me, and I quickly left the room, shutting the door firmly behind me.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, before I let my body merge with the shadows of the night.

* * *

_Dean's POV:_

I sat on the end of the bed, holding my face in my hands. My fingertips of my left hand drummed against my temple to keep my mind focused. I held my phone in my other hand, dialing and redialing her number. Leaving countless phone calls. I felt like a high school kid with a bad crush, but I didn't care- I couldn't let her go through with this.

And yet I had let her walk right out the door. I had let her walk out of my life- again. Well, the first time I hadn't had a choice, but this time I did. This time was different. I could have made her stay- she didn't want to leave. And she didn't want to die.

I closed the phone and re-pocketed it, secretly hoping that she would come back, even if she did go through with the deal.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door, and my heart skipped a beat. "Kristin-"

"You two better be decent before I open this door," Sam called through, and my jaw dropped a little as I shut my eyes, letting a vague wave of disappointment flow through me.

"I'm decent, Sam," I called through, and Sam opened up the door, holding a large brown bag.

"Breakfast," Sam answered, putting the bag down on the table and taking off his coat. Suddenly he stopped and turned around, noticing the stillness in the room. "Where is she?"

"She left," I answered quietly.

"With your wallet?" Sam asked, and I held it up. "Wait- she gave that one back to you?" I nodded simply. "Is there everything in it?" I nodded again, and Sam let out a short incredulous laugh. "Really?"

"Yeah," I said quietly, and Sam frowned at me.

"What happened?"

"She left," I said quietly, and Sam's eyes scanned the room for her backpack. No luck.

"When will she be back?" Sam asked quietly.

"She won't," I answered simply, lying down on the bed. Sam said nothing as I pulled the blankets over me, and pretended to try to go back to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Part 4: Broken Hopes

The moist dirt ran through my fingertips as the solid matter pushed its way back between my fingertips and the box. I could picture the box being consumed, perhaps by the earth, perhaps by hell fire. I couldn't be sure.

I stood up and looked around, the steady silence finding a way into my pores. I gulped and looked around, my eyes scanning the heavy darkness.

"We've been waiting for you."

I spun around quickly, all hairs standing up on the back of my neck as I looked at the demon in front of me. He had dark black hair spiked up slightly on his head, and the deepest brown eyes I had ever seen. His leather jacket was stretched tight over obviously bulging muscles, and he stood at least two inches taller than me.

"For how long?" I asked quietly. "I only just got here."

"Joey's been dead for a week, at least," he answered. "But then again, I guess Dean is more important than he is."

"I'm here now, ain't I?" I demanded.

"Okay, so it's just business," he said simply. "Fine by me."

"I want you to bring Joey back," I demanded.

"Bring Joey back-" the demon paused for a moment. "Can I do that?"

"Don't be smart, I know you can," I hissed.

"The question is not if I can, but if I will," the demon answered, and I was silent. "Now, if I do, how long should I give you? Five years?"

"Just give me as long as Dean has," I answered. "I want to go in the pit with him, together."

"That's cute," he smirked as he circled me. "So romantic. Your fiery descent into hell-"

"Shut up," I growled. "Don't be an asshole. I was just using him, and you know that."

The demon stopped and faced me. "The crying-" he shook his head.

"That was the seller," I answered. "Come on. You know I hardly have a heart-"

"And now you're without a soul," he answered simply. "You've led a fulfilled life."

"Fulfilled or not, I want my brother back," I snarled.

"But he hates you," the demon said quietly. "Or hated, he's dead now."

"Doesn't have to be dead for long," I countered.

"I know," he answered as he started to circle me again. "I'm just wandering why you'd give your life for your brother, who made it quite clear that he had no sister. That he wanted you dead."

"He hates me because I'm a thief," I answered. "You know that, and I get that. He doesn't approve of what I do, he's got more morals than Sam Winchester, but at the end of the day he's still my brother, my little brother, and I still have to look out for him."

"I can bring him back," the demon said after a moment.

"We've already established that," I answered coolly.

"I can give you as much time as Dean has left," the demon said, and I nodded. "But what I bring back- I can't guarantee that that's really Joey."

I faltered for a moment, but then shook my head. Demon mind games. "I'm willing to take that chance."

He moved forward and kissed me with intense passion, his tongue sliding into my mouth. I kissed him back, my arms wrapping around his neck. My hands fisted into the back of his hair, when suddenly I didn't feel anything there.

I opened my eyes to see my tongue hanging out of my mouth, my arms hugging the air. I quickly pulled myself together and looked around, making sure no one had seen the small make-out session with my imaginary friend.

I headed back into my car, and drove off to the motel where my brother would soon be waking up.

* * *

_Dean's POV:_

"I can't believe she did this to me," I shook my head, still massaging my temple. "What does she want me to do? Stop her?"

"Kristin's a bitch," Sam answered simply. "All she wants to do is make you feel guilty. Is it working?"

I paused and looked at him. "Son of a bitch."

"You said she has a brother, right?" Sam asked, and I nodded. "I can't find any record of a Joey Conlon anywhere."

"She was lying," I said softly, holding up my wallet. "But what about this?"

"She'll probably be back for it soon," Sam answered simply, and I glowered.

"And I left her about ten voicemails telling her how worried I was-" I shook my head and rested it in my palm. Sam started to snicker from the other side of the room, and I looked up at him. "What?" Sam shook his head, and I sighed and looked away.

"You like her."

"Shut up."

* * *

_Kristin's POV:_

His black hair was sticking up in every direction as the boy in front of her sat on the bed, his arms folded. "Go away."

"Listen to me," I answered simply. "You were dead. I made a deal. Brought you back."

"I didn't ask you to do that," he said coldly.

"I had to," I answered. "Someone's got to look out for you. Someone had to save your ass."

"Maybe if you had hunted with me you could have done it more often," he snorted.

"Joey-" I turned around and looked at him. "I just traded my life for yours. You don't sound very grateful."

"That's because I'm not," Joey answered angrily. "Now you're going to hell. Because of me. How am I supposed to live with that?"

"Well I'm not really getting the familial I'd-do-anything-for-you, vibe here," I answered. "I thought you'd be just fine."

"Well I'm not," Joey hissed. "You don't get it, do you?"

"I don't want to," I answered simply. "Look, Joe, I came back for a reason."

"Oh yeah?" Joey asked. "And what is that?"

"I realize I haven't been there-" I started.

"You think?" Joey demanded.

"But I want things to be different now," I said quickly. "I want to be your older sister again, like when we were kids. I gave the wallet back to Dean-"

"The guy you tied to the bed and ultimately humiliated?" Joey asked harshly.

"Did that to a lot of guys," I answered simply. "But I gave it back to him, and he's a hunter. He and his brother Sam-"

"The Winchesters," Joey answered. "They're okay guys. I've worked a few cases with them."

"You want to work a few more?" I asked, and he eyed me suspiciously.

"Shoud've known you'd hook up with Dean," he started. "See, that's the problem with you. You have no morals. Your whole everyone-is-screwed-to-hell ethic is-"

"Right," I answered. "At least for me. And Dean."

"But it didn't have to be that way," he started. "You've had that since we were kids. That 'It doesn't matter what we do now because we're all going to hell' thing- I never liked it. And then you just left. Mom and Dad died, and you just walked out on me."

"You found your way into this world soon enough," I shrugged. "I figured you'd be able to-"

"Figured," he answered. "Or I could've died alone in an alleyway in the city."

"But you didn't," I answered. "I found a way to survive-"

"Not an honest way," he snorted. "You may be my sister, but I can never respect you." He shook his head as he walked towards the window. "I'm sorry I made you waste your life."

"It's cool," Kristin shrugged. "I'm going to hell anyway. I was just preparing for it." My cell began to vibrate and I quickly picked it up. "Ten missed calls?"

"Dean's got your number," Joey shrugged, and she scowled at him.

She turned around and walked to the other side of the room, hitting re-dial on her cell.

* * *

_Dean's POV:_

I looked down at the cell vibrating in my hands, and frowned as I looked at the caller ID.

"Who is it?"

"Kristin," I answered simply, looking up at him. I tossed the phone from hand to hand, trying to decide what to do.

"So, what are you going to do?" Sam asked at length.

Without answering, I chose to ignore the call and waited to see if I'd get a voicemail.

The minutes passed by in awkward, tense silence, before the phone began to vibrate again. "One new voicemail."

"Put it on speaker," Sam said quickly. "I want to hear this."

"Hey Dean, it's Kristin. You called me about ten times- usually they'd call someone who did that a stalker, but knowing you, I guess they'd just call that horny." Dean's face flushed, and he ignored Sam's smirk. "Anyway, um, I'm sorry about- you know. Joey- he's, he's well. Or doing well- Joey do you want to come say hi? Okay, God, for someone who just got back from the dead, you look like you just died. Anyway, I got as much time as you had, but I don't know if you still-""

There was the sudden sound of glass crashing loudly in the background, and then a couple of indistinguishable sounds as Sam and Dean stared at each other in heightened alarm. There was a tentative "Joey-?" and then an ear-shattering scream-

The Winchesters were already on their feet and out the door, no questions asked.


	5. Chapter 5

Part 5: The Purity of Shadows

_Dean's POV:_

It was quiet, dead quiet. The air around us reverberated with the steady echo of silence. "This the place?" I asked, and Sam nodded as I pulled into the parking lot of the small motel. Surprisingly, it wasn't far from where we had been staying earlier. Sam tracked the GPS on her phone, and this was where we were headed.

I got out of the car quickly, but Sam held up his hand to stop me. "What if this is a trap?"

"We'll just have to take that chance," I answered simply as I cocked my gun.

We headed to the corner room, which Sam was sure she was in. I knocked on the door quickly first, just in case, and the door swung open gently. I glanced back at Sam and he nodded as he cocked his gun, covering me as I went inside.

The lights were on inside, and so it was not hard to see. Kristin was lying on the floor, her face bloody. Bits and pieces of a shattered lamp lay around her head; that explained the sound of breaking glass they had heard on the voicemail.

Or maybe not. A cool breeze flew into the room, but it wasn't because the window was open. The window had been shattered.

I bent down next to her, brushing a strand of blood-stained hair from her face. "Kristin-"

I grabbed her wrist, and was thankful to find a pulse. The blood smudged onto my fingers, but I didn't care. "Dean-"

At first I looked up at Sam, but the voice that spoke was clearly feminine. Kristin looked completely out cold, but was she? By the way Sam was looking at me, he had obviously heard it to.

"She okay?" Sam asked after a moment.

"We'll see," I picked her up in my arms, and carried her out to the Impala.

There was a sharp stinging on my face, and I quickly opened up my eyes and gasped as I sat up. "Sorry, sorry," Dean was sitting beside me on the bed, a cotton swab in his hand. "Just- this will sting a little."

He continue to dab gently at my face with peroxide, cleaning my wounds. "What happened?"

"I don't know," I admitted slowly, trying to gather together what had happened. "Joey attacked me."

"Joey, your mysterious brother Joey?" Dean asked with raised eyebrows.

"Yeah," I admitted. "Why?"

"I ran him through the database," Sam said quickly. "Didn't find him."

"Try Joey Mandalaz," I answered quickly, and Dean shot me a skeptical look. "Just do it, it'll work."

There was a few moments of silence before Sam sighed, almost sounding disappointed. "She's right. That him?" He swung the laptop around and showed me a picture of Joey.

"That's him."

"He doesn't look like the type to try to pound your cranium in with a-"

"You should know, how was he when he was hunting?" I interjected.

"What?" Dean asked.

"He said he went hunting with you on a case," I started.

Dean turned back to Sam. "You ever seen him before?"

Sam merely shook his head, and they both turned back to me, but I was just as confused as they were. "Why would Joey lie to me?"

"You sure that was your brother?" Dean asked, and I paused for a moment.

"He hates me, yeah, that was him."

"He hates you?" Dean echoed. "So- what? Try-to-kill-you hate you, or-?"

"I don't know," I shook my head blankly. "That was definitely his flesh, but I don't know if that was him. The demon, he said something to me- that what I brought back might not really be Joey, but I thought that might be just demon mind tricks, you know-?"

Dean paused for a moment, staring at me. "Hey Sam?" he asked after a moment.

"Yeah?" Sam asked.

"Can you go out and grab us some pizza?" he turned back to me. "I'm sure she's hungry, right?"

"Sure," I rubbed my temple gingerly. It felt like an army of fire ants was crawling all over my face.

"Sure thing, Dean," Sam got up and Dean tossed him the keys. Dean watched me closely until the door shut, and then he seemed to see me in a whole new way.

"What did he say exactly? About your brother not being your brother?" Dean asked slowly.

"I don't know," I admitted.

"Think!"

"Okay, okay, he told me, um-" I hesitated. "He told me that I had to be careful because what I brought back may not really be Joey. I thought he was just playing mind games- maybe Joey is possessed, I don't know."

"I don't know," Dean admitted.

"Why, what's on your mind?" I asked quickly.

"The yellow eyed demon," Dean said slowly. "He said the same thing about Sam."

"You don't think-" my voice trailed off as I thought about it. "But Joey flipped out right away-"

"Sam has more of a conscience," Dean started.

"I doubt that," I said, and then shook my head. "I don't really know him. Okay, so it's possible, but-"

"Do you think the same thing is going to happen to Sam?" Dean asked me slowly.

I stared at him and shook my head slowly. "I don't know, Dean. I don't know."

Dean wrapped his arms around me, not because he knew I needed to be held, but because he needed the same comfort as me.


	6. Chapter 6

Part 6: Running Out Of Time

_Dean's POV:_

Kristin lay asleep on the bed beside me, her cadence rising and falling with quick breaths. I put my hand on her forehead and at once her breathing evened out, and she moved closer to me.

"Dean?" I looked up sharply to see Sam sitting across the room. "She okay?"

"She'll be fine," I answered, then quickly dropped my eyes. It had been a habit of mine to drop my eyes and look away whenever there was an uncomfortable issue I knew needed discussing.

"Dean-?" Sam asked expectantly, but he had to call my name at least two more times before I looked up.

"Yeah?"

"What's up?" Sam asked. "Dean, what's going on?"

"I don't know," I said slowly. "Do you have any idea on how to track down Joey?"

"Not a one," Sam answered. "He doesn't have his phone on him, so there's no way to track him through his cell, and if he's possessed, demons are pretty good at covering their tracks, you know?"

"Not exactly," I said slowly, and Sam looked up at me. "Sulfur."

"Yeah," Sam answered. "But we didn't see any sulfur in the motel."

"Yeah," I admitted. "So, what? Let's say this wasn't demonic possession. What else could it be?"

"Maybe he just- didn't come back right," Sam admitted. "You saw Pet Semetary, and remember that girl that died in that car accident?"

"Yeah," I agreed as Sam turned around to continue typing on his laptop. If anyone brought back from the dead was evil, then didn't it mean that Sam could be evil too? Did that thought cross Sam's mind? I searched the lines in his face for some indication of an answer, but received none.

Kristin stirred beside me, and then propped herself on her elbow, staring lazily past me. Eventually her eyes flicked up to meet my face, and then she lay back down, pushing herself closer to me. I wrapped an arm around her as she rested her head on my stomach.

"Hey," Sam glanced at her before turning back to his computer. "You feeling okay?"

"Okay," she admitted. "But that's it."

I ran my hands through her hair and bent down to kiss her forehead. She didn't react. "What do you think happened to Joey? Demonic possession?"

"We've ruled that out," Sam answered. "I'm looking into bringing things back from the dead, if they can really be brought back evil."

"What if they come back evil unintentionally?" Kristin asked.

"You mean you think they might come back evil?" I asked.

"I don't know what I think," Kristin sighed. "But I do know that that back there wasn't Joey. It was- someone in Joey's body, but that was not Joey."

"As you knew him," I said quietly, and Kristin cocked her head to the side as she looked at me.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean that what you brought back isn't really Joey."

"If it's not Joey, and it's not a demon possessing Joey, then what is it?" Kristin asked. "A shifter?"

"Is that possible?" Sam asked. "Even if the shifter was in Joey's form when he died, could he be brought back to life as Joey?"

"Sounds plausible," Kristin admitted.

"But how would that work?" Sam asked. "I mean, no one's ever tried for sure, but what if the shifter came back and now he's stuck in Joey's body-"

"That's insane, that'd never work," I interjected.

"Why not?" Sam asked.

"Because shifter's aren't human and they have no souls," I explained. "A soul can't inhabit a body if there is no soul to begin with." There was silence. "So we're back to square one."

"He didn't freak out right away," Kristin recalled. "He was fine at first, and then- I don't know what happened. What if a demon brought him back this way, and the demon can turn him on and off, like a switch? One minute he's possessed, and the next he's not. What if the demon's inside him but like- dormant?"

I turned to Sam, who in turn looked back at me. "It's a theory," he admitted.

"Of course," Kristin said quietly. "That would also mean that-"

I quickly put my hand over her mouth, and Kristin struggled for a moment, but then grew silent. "What?" Sam asked.

"Nothing," Kristin said quietly, looking away.

"Okay-" Sam looked back at the screen of his laptop, and then turned back to us. "I've got a lot of research to get done. Why don't you two go somewhere?"

"There's a strip club on Madison," I recalled, and Kristin glared up at me. "Kidding, kidding."

"You better be," she growled, biting playfully into my shoulder. I smiled as I kissed her back, and she quickly crawled on top of me as she pulled off her shirt.

"Okay, how about I go?" Sam asked.

"That sounds like a good idea, Sammy," I said without thinking. There was only one thing in the room that captivated my whole attention now.

"I'll call if I find anything," Sam said with a small sigh as he left the room. As soon as the door shut, Kristin smiled and rolled off of me.

"I need to talk to you."

"Oh God, you're not pregnant, are you?"

"No," she smacked my arm lightly, and I smiled. "But what if I'm right? What if there's a demon dormant inside Sammy that's just waiting to come bursting out?"

"Sammy can keep himself under control," I said quietly.

"Can he?" Kristin asked. "What if he has no control over it?"

"This is Sammy we're talking about, he's in control," I said quickly.

"Yeah, I guess," Kristin shrugged uncomfortably, and I sensed in the silence that followed that there was something else she wanted to talk to me about. "Are you- scared?"

"Scared of what?"

"Going to hell?"

My throat suddenly went dry, and I couldn't move. "A little."

I was surprised I was able to admit that, but she just grabbed my hand and moved closer to me. "I am too."

"Don't worry," I started, but that was all I could say. How could I tell her not to worry? We were going to hell- hell. There was no other word to describe it. Usually when something was bad people described it as hell- so how do you describe hell's hell?

"I'm not," she said softly. "Because I'm going in with you. I'll take your hand in mine and then we'll jump. We'll jump together."

"We don't have very long until we make that plunge," I said quietly.

"I know," she nodded slowly. "But I don't think there's any way out of it. I don't know which is more important, finding a way out of the deal or saving Joey."

"Saving Joey," I answered simply. "The deal is ironclad."

"And with every second that passes," she muttered. "We grow closer and closer to hell's gate."


End file.
